Can-seaming machine



Feb. 15, 1927;

R. w. 's Rou'r can SEAMING MACHINE Filed A1122. 12. 1925 3 Sheets-Shefet 1 H fl r o O a I e w a 0Q e L T P 4D e e o. E g g M "n n no 1 V, K v m 1 P 5 QJiiii iiiaga Q=IEZZZIE u fl my I 1 PO 7 T INVENTOR MMJM,

By Aflorrwys,

- Feb. 153927.

Fir

INVENTQR By Atlbmeys,

Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

ROBERT W. STROUT, OF BROOKLYN,-NEW YORK,

TO E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N.

- rice.

Y., A oonPoRA'rIoN or DELAWARE.

CAIN-SEAMING MACHINE.

Application filed August 12, 1925. Serial No. 49,765.

This invention relates to machines for automatically double-seaming the ends or heads of round cans. The can is fed to the machine by hand and on pressin a treadle is lifted against a revolving chuck, by which the can is turned, and the cycle of operations for seaming on its head is initiated, at the end of which the engaging elements cease to act, and the operator having meanwhile let up the treadle, the can is released so that he may feed it out.

The present invention provides certain improvements in machines of this type, the nature of which will be made apparent as the description proceeds.

The. preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the upper part of the machine, partly in the plane of the line 33 in Fig.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partial rear elevation, being partly in section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 66 in Fig. 3.

The working parts of the machine are mounted on a pedestal A having a broad base, and on the top of which is fixed a trunk or housing B within which are the principal working parts and which forms an oil chan1- ber for lubricating them. 7 Oil maybe filled in to the housing B to the desired level.

Power isapplied from a pully C (or other driving rotor). through a clutch D to a main shaft E. The clutch is shown as a usual type of expansion-ring friction clutch, operated by a collar D under'control of a fork F andha-nd-lever F. Any other known or suitable means for clutching the shaft to the source of power maybe substituted.

The shaft E drives through bevel gears a Z) the vertical'spindle G carrying the seam ing mandrel H., This mandrel ismount-ed in ball bearings c and (Z, and is vertically adjustable by screwing up or down a bushing 6 within which the outer ring of the upper bearing 0 is confined. The hub b of the gear I) is prolonged downwardly within the give fourteen turns.

assrenon, BY MESNE nssrenivrnnrs,

lower bearing 03, and the spindle is splined to it and adjustable vertically within it.-

V The housing B is divided by a partition 6 into two chambers f and g, of which'the front one f encloses the spindle G and gears a Z), and has a front cap f through which access may be had to these gears.

The shaft F; turns vin ball bearings mounted in the partition 6 and rear wall e. Thisf shaft has a worm I which drives a worm wheel J loose on a transverse shaft K and coupled to it by a sliding coupling 72. (Fig. 4). The shaft K passes outside the housing B at both ends, and at one end carries a gear 2' meshing with a'gear j on a parallel shaft L carrying fixed to it the two cams M M which advance the respective seaming rolls N N, and a cycle cam P.

The shafts K and L have bearings in the opposite sides of the housing B. The latter is closed on one side by a plate B in which are formed the bearings at one end of each shaft. The gears 2' j are housed in a chamber closed by a cap plate la. These gears are change gears, and by removing the plate may be replaced by others :to give any suitable gearing ratio. For example, one pair of gears may give nine spindle turns to each seamin operation and another pair may rod m which slides in a foot-stock V, which itselfis adjustable vertically to various positions on the pedestal A. The foot of the rod m is connected a rock lever 12 to a collar 22 which is fulcrumed to a yielding plunger n, and is adjustably connected to the rod B, so that it may be set higher or lower when the foot-stock V is set up or down. To effect this adjustment the rod R V has a series of grooves, and a sleeve 9 which may slide on the rod has a recess into which enters a horseshoe key 1* to lock the sleeve to the rod.

The exterior "of the sleeve is threaded and screws into the collar 19. Thus for a coarse adjustment the sleeve and collar are set up or down and held by the key r, while for a fine adjustment the sleeve is turned to move the collar up or down. The V plunger 42 is stressed" by a" spring (not shown) within the. foot-stock V.

The lever-Q carries a; sliding cam s which is adjustable by means of opposite screws t t.

against the end of a pin u '(Fig. 4) forming 7 15 an inclined face which acts which is slidably mounted in an axial bore in the shaft K and bears at its other end against a cross-piece a; which is fixed in a sliding'sleeve w the movable member of the toothed clutch h. A spring a p-ressesagainst '11,. tend- The cam s has I ing to engage the clutch, and in the position shown this engagement is prevented by the cam s which presses back the pin a,

v 111" turning. both The seaming rolls N N are advanced from the cams M M through rollers 9, 9carried by slides 10, 10 which act against levers 11,

out stud 12, and having 1 lower arms which act through rods 13, 13

on the slides 14., 14f carrying the seamers. The'levers 11, 11 are formed withsockets rods 13,

these rods the seainers may be adjusted forv so socketed in blocks 18,18

'Thelevers 11,11 are acted on by springs 20,20 carried on rods 21, 21 the rear ends of which are socketed in the prolonged ends of thelevers. Thus therollers 9, 9 are kept pressedagainst the cams M M.

j The operation is as follows :Starting withthe inactive position shown, and assurn-. ing the clutch D to be ,45' lever F, the operator engaged by lifting the v placesa can with its head on the pad U and presses down the treadle T. f This elevates the'canuntil its head is engaged by the revolving mandrel H,

= and at the same time pulls down the roller Z seaming roll N spring S and earn 8. The latter thus releases the end of the pin a and thespringtc engages the V clutch h, so that the revolving v gear J carries with it the shaft K, and this drives the cam- 'shaftrL. The cam M, acting on roller 9, slide 10, lever 11 and slide 1 1, advances the to its work and then retracts it. Then the cam M acts similarly to advance and retract the seamer N. Thereupon the camaP having completed its revolution, its notch receives'the roller Z so that the lever Q, rod R, and pad U are restored by the to their original positions; in this movement the cam s releases the rod u, and

ermits the spring aato disconnect the clutch thus stopping the rotation of the shafts receiving rocking nuts 15, 15 into which 13 are threaded, so that by turning may K, L. The operation is now finished, and the operator removes the seamed can.

This invention provides a can seamer having. numerous advantages. Of these, one of the most important is that the seaming rolls may be adjusted to make a looser or tighter seam'while the machine is running. Forthis purpose theadjusting screws 13,

19;- project outward in a way which renders them readily accessible. They "may be turned by a keyv or otherwise. The motion of the slides in which these screws participate is so slight and so deliberate that no difficulty is found in turning, the screws while the machine is running. I-Ieretofore the means for adjusting thecngagement of the seamers relatively to the mandrel have been screws enclosed within the line of transmission of force, so that they are accessible only when the machineis at rest.

Another important advantage is that the greater part of the mechanism is enclosed an oil chamber or chambersythus the working parts are he dust and injury, and are arranged so that they turn in a bath of oil, by which they are kept effectively lubricated. This construction admits of'the use of ball bearings for the rapidly revolving shafts E and G.

The present invention makes the gearing within the head or'housing which serves as 7 used and protected from and shafting very compact, all possible moving parts being enclosed and protected. This construction isin contrast to the machines.

heretofore made, in which the transmission is mainly'by belts, requiring at least'two belts and their pulleys at the rear of the machine, which cannot readily be enclosed, and rendering the machine bulky. The present machine is extremely compact, while the enclosed parts which require access may be easily gotten at. The provision for a coarse and fine adjustment of the height of the pad U is also novel and useful. V In all machines of this class some yielding element is required between the roll Z (or its equivalent) and the pad U to render this pad yielding and avoid liability of injuring the can. In the present machine the yielding element is the plunger :91", the enclosed spring of which is adjusted by turning a nut n. t

To enclose and D, ahood 20 is provided, fastened to the rear of the housing B.

For lubricating the enclosed parts oil is introduced t irough an upper opening a" into chamber (,1, and may overflow from that chamber into chamber f, or may be sepa- V 125 introduced into the latter.

rately It will be understood that the construetion may be greatly varied in detail without departing fromthe essential features of the protect the clutch sleeve invention, which are set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is I 1. A can seaming machine having an upright frame with a top housing, a horizontal main shaft and upright mandrel spindle geared togetherwithin said housing, seamers mechanism for operating the seamers comprising a transverse shaft driven from the main shaft through reducing gearing within the housing, and the housing forming opposite bearings for each of said shafts and constitutingv a closed chamber adapted to contain oil for lubricating said last-named gearing.

2. A can seaming machine having an upright frame with a top housing formed with a partition dividing it intotwo chambers, a

horizontal main shaft Within said housing having a bearing in said partition and passing out from the housing at its opposite end, and an upright mandrel spindle located in the other chamber of said housing, with gearing in said chamber driving it from the main shaft, the housing chambers adapted tocontain oil for the lubrication of said shafts and gearing.

3. A can seaming machine having an upright frame with a top housing formed with a partition dividing it into two chambers, a horizontal main shaft within said housing having bearings in opposite ends of one of said chambers, an upright mandrel'spindle having bearings in the top and bottom of the other chamber, gearing for driving said spindle from the main shaft located in said latter chamber, transverse shafts in said first-named chamber geared together, a worm and worm gear whereby one of said shafts is driven from the main shaft,seamers and cams on the other transverse shaft for operating the seamers, the housing chambers adapted to contain oil for the lubrication of the enclosed gearing and cams.

4. A can seaming machine having a frame with a top housing, a main shaft and spindle having bearings in said housing geared together, transverse shafts beneath the main shaft and reducing gearing driving them from the main shaft, and the housing'forming an oil chamber for said transverse shafts and gearing.

5. A machine according to claim 4, one of the transverse shafts driven from the main shaft, and gears on that and the other shaft whereby the latter is driven, said gears being outside the housing chamber so as to be accessible and replaceable by others of different ratio.

6. A can seaming machine having a frame with a top housing, a main shaft and spindle, seaming rolls and movable carriers therefor,

and mechanism for alternately advancing and retracting said carriers, comprising a revolving cam shaft, slides engaging cams on said shaftand adjustable connections from said slides to sald carriers, sald housing formlng bearings for said shaft and chamber, a main shaft, a revolving cam shaft and gearing driving it, enclosed in said housing, seaming rolls and movable carriers therefor, levers for col'nmunicating the move ment from said cams to said carriers, said levers exterior to said housing, ing means for varying the advance of the rolls, said means varying the relation between the levers and carriers, and having a portion accessible externally to be adapted for adjustment while the machine is running.

8. A can seaming machine comprising revolving cams, slides carrying rollers engaging said cams, levers actuated by said slides, seaming rolls and slides carrying them, screw rods jointed to said last-named slides, and rocker nuts socketed in said levers and engaged by the threads of said rods, whereby the rods serve as links communicating movement from the levers to the seaming slides and are adjustable by turning them to vary the advance of the rolls and adjust the same.

9. A can seaming machine having an upright mandrel spindle, ball bearings therefor, gearing for driving the spindle, the spinand adj ustdle adjustable independently of said gearing and adjusting means for the spindle comprising a screw bushing engaging the upper ball bearing'to raise or lower it and the spindle.

10. A machine according to claim 9, the

gearing for driving the spindle being non-' adjustable, and the spindle being adjustable through the driven member of said gearing.

11. A can seaming machine having an u right mandrel spindle with a mandrel on its bottom end, and gearing for driving 1t, such gearing comprising a pinion having a sleeve enclosing and splined to the spindle, ball bearings for said spindle attop and bottom,

the bottom bearing arranged above the man-' 13. A'can seaming machine having a main shaft, a transverse shaft, a gear driven from the'inain shaft, a clutch for'uniting said gear to the transverse shaft a cycle cam dr1ven from sald transverse shaft, and a lever ,coacting with said cam and having means for operating said clutch, whereby on the complete turn of said cam the lever is Vmoved and the clutch released.

' 14. A can machine according to claim 13, sald clutch having a spring tending to engage it, and means communicating with said cam on the lever for disengaging 1t against Y the stress of said spring.

shaft engaging at one end said clutch and 15 projecting at the other end and engaged by the cam on said lever., i Y

16. A can seaming machine having a treadle, pad and stopping lever,v a rod con-' necting them, a sleeve slidalole on the rod, means for locking it to the rod in different positions giving a coarse adjustment, and'a screw connection between the sleeve and pad,' giving a fine adjustment.

In witness whereof,1 have hereunto signed 25 my name.

' ROBERT w; STROUT. 

